The misunderstanding triggered panic among family members, who believed a criminal may have been holding the woman against her will.
A missing person search in Durban took an unexpected turn when a woman, reported missing by her family, was found safe and sound in her own bed.
The incident was shared by Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), which said the family had contacted its operations centre last week after becoming concerned when they were unable to reach the 32-year-old woman.
According to Rusa, the family provided officers with a photograph and information about the woman, who had last been seen the previous evening.
A search effort was subsequently launched, with officers following up on leads while details were circulated on social media in an attempt to trace her whereabouts.
